Saturday, November 8, 2008

Change has come to America

Change has come to America. President-elect Barack Obama eloquently made this statement Tuesday following his historic victory over Republican John McCain. He was correct in that assumption. Watching the night unfold and listening to Obama, thoughts of many generations of struggle ran through my head. I tried to imagine the pride African-Americans were feeling. Of course, it's impossible for me to fully understand because I'm a white man in the United States. I cannot comprehend what it must have been like as an African-American over the past century. No one has ever told me I could not eat where I wanted. No one has ever told me to go to the back of the bus. No one has ever implied that I was not welcomed some place. According to several stories and personal accounts I've read of African-Americans watching that moment - they were tense. Some felt as though the moment would be taken from them. Some, especially seniors, were finally able to believe that America is truly a place where anything can happen. For the first time, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s ultimate dream had really come true. I was touched by the outpouring of emotion, the pure elation felt not only coast-to-coast, but worldwide. It was incredible watching positive significant history happen right before my eyes. I've heard more than one time people say, "I didn't think I would live to see this day." I kind of thought I would ... years from now. President-elect Obama has risen like few on this planet ever have. He has gone from obscurity to the highest office in the land in four years. A little more than four years ago, Sen. John Kerry, while campaigning in Illinois, heard Obama addressing a crowd. He was impressed enough to have him give the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention and the country took notice. Obama won a Senate seat that November and the rest is now history. I've heard the saying, "Only in America" on many occasions in my life, but the saying and Obama's achievement made it true. In this country, you can dream big. Everyone of us. Not only that, those dreams can come true ... for every single one of us!

About Chris

I have two sons and a beautiful wife which keep me very happy. I'm president of Blackburn Media Group, Inc., a corporation in Childress, Texas. BMG has several newspapers in Texas and Oklahoma. I believe in rural America and think the concerns of us living in rural areas should be a priority in Washington not an afterthought.